This invention relates to an adjustable cap, and more particularly to an improvement in the pleated crown of such an adjustable cap.
Adjustable caps, particularly adjustable paper caps are widely used for commercial purposes where it is necessary to prevent hair and other particles from getting into the work product. This typically includes situations where it is necessary to maintain sanitary conditions, such as the preparation of food. It may also include the manufacture of electronic components where particle free conditions must be maintained.
Today, the typical adjustable cap includes two basic components, namely a headband with its ends telescopically interconnected for head size adjustment and a pleated crown secured to the headband. Examples of such cap construction are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,186,446; 4,286,338; and 4,244,058. Yet another example of this basic combination is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,206. Moreover, caps incorporating this combination of adjustable headband and pleated crown have been available commercially for a number of years including caps sold by the assignee of this patent application, Keystone Adjustable Cap Company, Inc. of Pennsauken, N.J. and its competitors.
All such caps more than adequately serve the purpose of providing a disposable adjustable cap. But they suffer from certain defects when used at the extremeties of their size adjustment, that is when used for small heads or for extra large heads. When used on small heads, the transverse contour of the folded pleats as they expand do not provide good room at the central portion of the head because the lowermost edges of the pleats do not expand sufficiently to provide head room. As a result, the cap has a tendency to stand up on the wearer's head. At extra large sizes, the crown tends pop out of the head band at its rear end thereby exposing the wearer's hair.
More particularly, by observing prior art adjustable caps in use it can be seen that the lower marginal edges of the pleated panels of the crown project downwardly into the interior of the cap. Upon opening the cap they tend to rise as the crown is extended to cover the wearer's head. This continues until the pleated crown is extended to its fullest extent. But for persons having a smaller head size, such full extension does not occur. This means that the lower marginal edges of the pleated panels project further downwardly and contact the hair or scalp thereby tending to displace the cap upwardly or give the crown an unsightly appearance as it displaces improperly. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a configuration for the pleated panels of the crown which provides more space within the cap for the wearer of a smaller cap size.
For the wearer of a larger cap size, another problem occurs. The rear part of the crown pop out and extend above the band exposing the wearer's head thus defeating the protection afforded by the cap. This occurs because only a short length of the folded over portion of the outermost pleated panel is secured to just one of the sections of the telescoping side panels. As the side panel is elongated by displacing the telescoping sections, their appears an even longer length of headband to which the crown is not attached. As the wearer puts the hat on his or her head, the crown is easily pushed above the band thereby exposing the wearer's head.
The present invention overcomes these problems.